Odds of Hanging On

Assuming you don't die, crash too many multi-million-dollar fighter jets, or get court martialed for having a bit too much fun on shore leave, once you get in you've actually got the potential to fly jets for a looooooong time. It's tough to find fighter pilots with a ton of flight experience, so even after the military is finished with sending you to the front lines, you could be set up with a nice job teaching the newbies how to execute a Thach Weave.